Ram Vilas Paswan favours lifting ban on Khesari dal if found safe

NEW DELHI: Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today favoured lifting the ban on Khesari dal if found fit for human consumption, saying that allowing its cultivation will help reduce pressure on pulses imports.
The Khesari dal was banned in 1961 due to health reasons. Food safety regulator FSSAI has sought Health Ministry's approval to hold public consultation on approval of three varieties of Khesari dal -- Ratan, Prateek and Mahateara.
"I read in newspapers that three new varieties of Khesari dal have been developed. If these varieties prove to be fit for human consumption, I think its cultivation should be allowed. This will help reduce stress on pulses production and imports," Paswan told reporters here.
The Minister said he himself has eaten Khesari dal for 15 years and never had any health problems.
"Khesari dal tastes good and it can be grown easily with less expense. It is grown mainly in north India,"
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) plans to come out with a draft notification to allow three variants of Khesari dal following a green signal from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
"Based on scientific evidence and details that are available from experts, we reached the conclusion that lathyrism occurs only when it is taken in very large quantity. There is no evidence of lathyrism occurring due to consumption of the dal in last 20 years, " FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar had said yesterday.
"So, we have asked the Health Ministry to approve a draft notification for public consultation on the matter," he had said.
India's pulses production has stagnated at around 17-18 million tonnes and the country has to import 4-5 million tonnes to meet the gap.

Australian honey is most contaminated in the world, research reveals

 

All but five Australian honeys that were tested had more contaminants than the European Food Safety Authority would consider safe.
Australian honey is the most contaminated in the world and contains cancer-causing toxins as a result of lenient food-safety standards, according to new research.
All but five Australian honey brands tested had more contaminants which would not be considered safe or tolerable in Europe.
Research published in the Food Additives and Contaminants scientific journal reveals the majority of honey sold by leading brands in Australian supermarkets have the highest level of this poisonous toxin.The research reveals the cancer-causing toxin is found naturally in plants and used to ward of insects.
This poison is known as pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA), which has liver damaging toxins that have serious health consequences for animals and humans when consumed in high quantities.
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) have sent out a warning to anyone, including pregnant or breast feeding women, not to consume more than two tablespoons of honey a day and to avoid that made from the plant Paterson’s Curse.
FSANZ told Yahoo7 there is no way to remove the poison from honey, so the action they take is to lower it's count in honey by blending and diluting it.
"Currently there are no methods for removing PAs from honey and removing source plants is not feasible for many areas where apiaries are kept," a spokesperson said. 

Pregnant and breastfeeding women are reportedly at higher risk of organ damage from such toxins.
"Contaminants should be kept as low as achievable. Therefore, blending is the most practical way of reducing the levels of PAs to the lowest achievable."
According to other food authorities around the world, this blending is deemed as an unrealistic solution.
The European Food Safety Authority consider 0.0007 micrograms of PA per kilogram of body weight, per day a safe intake to be consuming.
Whereas Australia's standards restrict the recommended intake to 1 microgram.
Australian toxicologist, Dr John Edgar, claims eating these poisons “could be a significant cause of cancer”, Fairfax reported.
“Reducing the contamination in foods such as honey, teas, salads, flour, dairy and herbal products could result in a significant reduction in cancer cases worldwide.”
Although, PSANZ sent out a warning to not ingest Paterson’s Curse honey, the government agency told Yahoo7 the levels of PA found in Australian homes is unlikely to pose a health risk.
"For people who eat small amounts of honey, the levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids should not be a cause for concern," the spokesperson said, adding that the toxin in Australia has a lower toxicity than the standard used overseas.
"The predominant PA in Australian and New Zealand honey, echimidene, is of a lower toxicity than the PA used as a standard to set values by some authorities," a FANZ spokesperson said.
Dr Nadine Chapman, from the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney, researches Australian bees and says the industry is aware of the issue and are finding ways to mitigate it.
"To say that Australian honey is the most contaminated in the world is an exaggeration and it depends on the contaminant," she said.
"As Australia does not have the Varroa mite and a number of other pests and diseases, we use less chemicals to manage our bees; we also try to minimise exposure to pesticides.”
In regard to the outcomes of this expert, FSANZ said they will still "reconsider whether the setting of a tolerable daily intake is appropriate for PAs in Australian and New Zealand foods".

No food licences for defence canteens

Following requests from the Ministry of Defence, Union health ministry has exempted unit run canteens (URC) from the purview of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licensing.
Following requests from the Ministry of Defence, Union health ministry has exempted unit run canteens (URC) from the purview of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licensing.
Ministry of Defence asserted that these URCs in India are attached to the canteen stores department (CSD) depots which are licensed by FSSAI and follow all the requirements stipulated under Food Safety and Standards, 2006 (FSS) Act. URCs are attached to the CSD depots and function as a welfare measure for defence personnel. The miniscule profits earned by the URCs are also ploughed back for the welfare of the forces.
"Following various representations from the Ministry of Defence, we have decided to exempt the URCs from the purview of the FSSAI licensing subject to some conditions," said a senior FSSAI official.
FSSAI, under the health ministry, has exempted the URCs but has made it mandatory for CSD depots to ensure that all URCs under their respective control adhere to all the provisions of FSS Act rules and regulations. Also, all the URCs will display FSSAI license numbers.
"The CSD depots were willing to take responsibility of food safety in respect of the URCs attached to each of them. The CSD depots have already taken FSSAI licenses (34 area depots and one base depot) and all the URCs buy food articles only from these depots. And, stringent protocols are enforced to ensure safety of food articles in all canteen depots run by the defence services," the official said.

FSSAI seeks govts nod for consultation on lifting Khesari Dal

New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) Three variants of Khesari Dal, namely Ratan, Prateek and Mahateara, might be available in the market for consumption soon after decades of ban as the food regulator has sought the Health Ministrys approval to hold public consultation on the issue.
The dal was banned in 1961 as its consumption was linked to neurological disorder lathyrism, the paralysis of legs.
"Based on scientific evidence and details that are available from experts, we reached the conclusion that lathyrism occurs only when it is taken in very large quantity. There is no evidence of lathyrism occurring due to consumption of the dal in last 20 years," Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Kumar said.
"So, we have asked the Health Ministry to approve a draft notification for public consultation on the matter," he said.
"The consultation will be held for 60 days during which people can give their inputs and suggestions on the matter," he said.
The decision to lift ban on Khesari Dal came after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommended FSSAI that three variants of the dal are safe for use.
However, the Health Ministry officials said all food products contain some kind of toxic elements from the earth and their effect on human health depends on the usage.
They said Khesari Dal is a rich source of protein and contains little amount of toxins like any other food item.
"The toxicity level of the dal depends on its usage. The view held by the ministry is that Khesari dal is a rich source of protein and all foods will have some residues that come from the water and the soil. So that is not a major issue. The only question is whether the residual is more than what is permissible," a Ministry official said.
"It depends on what quantity one is eating. Earlier, people used to have it three times a day because of its affordability. In that case the toxicity level may go up. But now nobody takes it day-in and day-out," the Ministry official said. There is only one variety of the dal produced locally that has not been studied by ICMR. "Rest all that they have researched have been found to be normal and FSSAI has agreed to it," the official said.

55-Year-Old Ban On Cheap Dal Khesari May Be Lifted But Questions Remain

Experts say khesari dal once widely cultivated will be mixed with other dals and sold.Panna, Madhya Pradesh:
In the drought-hit district of Panna in Madhya Pradesh, khesari dal is the main source of nutrition for 20-year-old Jayanti Malik. Ms Malik's family owns five acres of land this year and has not sown anything except khesari Dal on almost a quarter of the land.
This is the only crop, they say, which can survive the harshest climates, ripens quickly and yields up to 500 kilos per acre. Despite these advantages, khesari was banned in 1961 because its consumption was linked to the neurological disorder lathyrism - which causes paralysis of legs.
Ms Malik told NDTV, "We consume khesari because it is a cheap source of protein and we don't have to do much to grow it. We are not aware that it is banned and have been growing it for years. So far, no one in our family has fallen ill after consuming it."
But, now it seems that the ban on the poor man's lentil may soon be lifted. In a reply to an RTI query, the Indian Council of Agriculture Research admitted that a research panel headed by India Council of Medical Research has proposed lifting the ban. In the new varieties of the dal, the toxicity is "negligible." The proposal is now being considered by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
Dr S Swaminathan, Director ICMR says, "When it is cooked, there will be negligible levels of toxins. Three varieties have been released. Research has been going on for at least six-seven years."
Research agencies feel the new varieties of the dal -- mahateora, ratan and prateek -- can reduce nutritional deficiencies in the poor. States like Madhya Pradesh are concerned because khesari is used for food adulteration. Agriculture expert and Activist Rakesh Deewan, who in the 70s even went to the Supreme Court to ensure effective implementation of the Ban on Khesari Dal, too says that lifting the ban will lead to khesari being mixed with more expensive dal varieties.
"The research panel says that the new varieties have negligible toxicity and not zero toxicity... The effect of the toxins cannot be felt immediately after consuming khesari but after some time," says Mr Deewan.

FSSAI directs state food safety commissioners to implement new norms on additives

NEW DELHI: The food regulator has directed all state food safety commissioners to implement the new standards for food additives notified by the regulator in December.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had uploaded a list of 8,000 approved additives, the food categories in which they can be used, and the permissible limit for them on its website on December 13, 2015.
"It is directed that the enforcement official in your state/UT be instructed to implement the said standards for food additives in various food categories," the FSSAI said in an internal communication to state food safety departments on January 14.
The regulator is preparing new rules for product approvals after an earlier advisory, which put it at loggerheads with the industry, was quashed by the Supreme Court for not having legal standing.
The FSSAI's proposed regulation may require product approval only if a new ingredient or additive, apart from the 8,000 specified earlier, is introduced in a food item. This norm, being followed in several developed nations, has been a long-standing demand of the Indian food industry.

DFCO inspects 799 establishments, 21 challaned for operating in unhygienic conditions

JAMMU, Jan 20: Drugs and Food Control Organization (DFCO) conducted inspections of 799 food establishments with an objective to ensure compliance with the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and Rules and Regulations 2011.
The enforcement staff of DFCO also lifted 73 samples of milk and milk products, atta, oil cereals and sweets from the shops falling in the Municipal Limits of Jammu and the same were sent to Food Analyst Jammu for testing and analysis.
During the drive emphasis was laid to ensure proper/ acceptable levels of hygiene by the Food Business Operators. 21 food establishments were challaned for operating in unhygienic conditions.
The Adjudicating Officer (Additional Demo Commis-sioner, Jammu), realised Rs 1,90,000 from the defaulting Firms namely Fortune Inn Rivera, Lambar Da Dhaba, Spice Food Court, Professional Canteen, Amar Singh Club, Madan Lal Bansi Lal and Noorani Muslim Restaurant.
They were also served with improvement notices for upgrading their existing infrastructure/technology to meet the standards mandated under the new Food Law.
The Stake holders were impressed upon through the medium of a notice to adhere to the legal provisions and strive to meet growing public expectations.
The exercise was conducted by the Team of Food Safety Officers namely Hansraj, Jai Inder Singh, Dilip Singh, Ajay Khajuria under the supervision of Designated Officer, Municipal Limit Jammu (Assistant Controller Food) Sanjeev Kumar Gupta.

Seminar on food safety by Siegwerk

Siegwerk India is hosting a half-day seminar in association with Henkel in Delhi and Mumbai. The first seminar will take place in Delhi on 1 February 2015 and topic is ‘The Role of Flexible Packaging in Food Safety’ and in Mumbai on 3 February. The venue for the seminar in Delhi is hotel ITC Maurya.
According to Neelakamal Mohapatra of Siegwerk, “In India, the level of understanding of PS plus R concepts among the customers (printers) and end users are mostly in the developmental stage. While the European and US market are matured enough to handle the various upcoming and existing stringent food packaging regulations; the Asian market is far behind to meet the challenges of this changes. In Asia, depending on our business requirements, China is the most developed one. So the objective of this Seminar is twofold – one to educate the customers in terms of the necessity of these regulations and secondly the requirements derived from these regulations.”
The seminar will start in the evening of 1 February and the first topic will be on ‘Packaging safety compliance requirement for Flexible Packaging on Foods.’ Followed by topics on Food Packaging safety – How we at Siegwerk think about the topic; Understanding Food Safety and Global Regulations; Formulating Food safe inks; Food Safe Adhesives for Flexible Packaging; Food Safety – Flexible Packaging Manufacturers Perspective and panel discussion.
According to Siegwerk printers and converters dealing with flexible packaging business and end-users into NPH (Nutrition, Pharma and Hygiene) business must attend the seminar.
The seminar will be enlightened by speakers from Nestle, Siegwerk, Uflex and Henkel.

ASCI to probe celebrity endorsements of pan masala ads

The Delhi government recently asked Bollywood actors not to promote pan masala in ads
New Delhi: Advertising industry body the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) will investigate campaigns by pan masala brands featuring celebrities for violation of its code in the wake of the Delhi government asking stars such as Ajay Devgan and Shah Rukh Khan not to promote such items.
“Complaints against such advertisements have been received by ASCI and are being looked into. ASCI will approach the concerned advertisers to take necessary corrective action post decision by our consumer complaints council,” ASCI secretary general Shweta Purandare said in a statement.
She said while products such as pan masala and supari are not banned for sale or from advertising by law, “the ASCI code does not permit the use of celebrities in advertisements of products which by law require health warning on its pack or cannot be purchased or used by minors”.
On 18 January, the Delhi government had written to Bollywood actors including Ajay Devgan, Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Govinda, Arbaaz Khan and Sunny Leone, asking them not to endorse pan masala products as they contain areca nuts, a potential cancer causing agent.
ASCI said it would investigate into the pan masala ads and ensure that there is no violations of its code of self-regulation. As per rules and regulation laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, statutory warnings are mandatory to be printed on the pack as well as for the ads, it added.
“It has been observed that large number of pan masala brands are in potential contravention of the advertising codes under ASCI’s chapter III,” it added.
Chapter III is to safeguard against indiscriminate use of advertising in situations or promotion of products which are regarded as hazardous or harmful to society, individuals, particularly minors. Moreover, its clause 2 also specifies that advertisements of products which, by law, either require a health warning in their ads or cannot be purchased by minors “should not feature personalities from the field of sports, music and cinema”. “It is important that the advertisers as well as celebrities are aware of this clause of ASCI code and sensitized to this issue so that they can advertise in a responsible manner,” said ASCI

Cancer-causing toxins found in Australian honey

Lenient food-safety standards are to blame, according to the Food Additives and Contaminants journal.
CANCER-causing toxins have been found in Australian honey as a result of lenient food-safety standards, research has shown.
Honey products readily available on supermarket shelves don’t meet international standards, the research published in the Food Additives and Contaminants journal says.
Products available in Australia can contain ingredients from harmful plants such as Paterson’s curse and fireweed if they are blended with other honey to dilute the toxins.
The European Food Safety Authority considers a safe intake of pyrrolizidine alkaloids to be 0.0007 micrograms per kilogram of body weight, per day.
But Australian standards recommend restricting intake to 1 microgram.
Experts say pregnant and breastfeeding women should be wary of the toxins.

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